How Much to Run a Mini Split in North Dakota? $797/Winter
Running ductless mini-split in North Dakota costs about $0.23 an hour and roughly $797 for the winter — 2,000 W for 18.7 hours a day at 11.71¢/kWh.
· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23
On this page: CalculatorTableHow we calculatedSources
Jump to calculator ↓Slider nudges the North Dakota rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $0.23 at 11.71¢/kWh
- Per winter
- $797 (182 days)
- Hours per day
- 18.7 (NOAA state heating degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 6,960 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 2,000 W (typical 400–3,500)
- North Dakota rate
- 11.71¢ (October 2025–March 2026 average)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 12 (12th most expensive)
Why this number
North Dakota runs ductless mini-split longer than the national baseline in October–March — 18.7 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 9.4 nationally — and pays 11.71¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 2,000 W, are the whole $797.
Ductless mini-split cost in North Dakota by hours per day — per day / per winter
| Hours per day | North Dakota avg 11.71¢ | Northern States Power 12.1¢ | Montana-Dakota Utiliti 11.7¢ | Cass County Elec Coop 12.4¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $0.23 / $43 | $0.24 / $44 | $0.23 / $43 | $0.25 / $45 |
| 2 h | $0.47 / $85 | $0.48 / $88 | $0.47 / $85 | $0.50 / $90 |
| 4 h | $0.94 / $170 | $0.97 / $176 | $0.94 / $170 | $0.99 / $181 |
| 6 h | $1.41 / $256 | $1.45 / $264 | $1.40 / $256 | $1.49 / $271 |
| 8 h | $1.87 / $341 | $1.94 / $352 | $1.87 / $341 | $1.98 / $361 |
| 12 h | $2.81 / $511 | $2.90 / $529 | $2.81 / $511 | $2.98 / $542 |
What North Dakota’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per winter at 18.7 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | 82,987 | 12.1¢ | $0.24 | $823 |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | 79,354 | 11.7¢ | $0.23 | $796 |
| Cass County Elec Coop Inc | 51,968 | 12.4¢ | $0.25 | $844 |
What the numbers say about ductless mini-split in North Dakota
North Dakota logged 6,960 population-weighted heating degree-days over October–March (NOAA CPC state series), 199% of the CONUS figure of 3,500, which is why this page runs ductless mini-split 18.7 hours a day against the national 9.4 — 9.3 hours more. At North Dakota’s October 2025–March 2026 average rate of 11.71¢/kWh that makes it the 12th most expensive of the 20 cold states for ductless mini-split: $797 for the 182-day winter, against Nebraska’s $552 and Maine’s $1,886. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, North Dakota’s largest utility with 82,987 residential customers, averages 12.1¢ — $823 for the same hours — while Cass County Elec Coop Inc at 12.4¢ comes to $844, a $20 spread on identical use. Per million Btu delivered, this unit at the NEEP median COP of 2.17 costs $15.81 against $10.11 for natural gas at North Dakota’s winter average of $0.96/therm, which is the whole-house comparison the North Dakota heating page works through. North Dakota’s winter-average rate (11.71¢) sits 1.70¢ below its July 2026 reading of 13.41¢; the season figure uses the winter average because that is when ductless mini-split runs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run ductless mini-split per hour in North Dakota?
$0.23 an hour for a 2,000 W unit at North Dakota’s October 2025–March 2026 average average of 11.71¢/kWh (2,000 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1171); at Northern States Power Co - Minnesota’s 12.1¢ it is $0.24.
How much does ductless mini-split cost for the whole winter in North Dakota?
About $797: 2,000 W × 18.7 hours a day × 182 days (October–March) × 11.71¢. The hours are the national 9.4 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026 (6,960 against the CONUS 3,500); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is ductless mini-split expensive to run in North Dakota compared with other cold states?
North Dakota is the 12th most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $797 a winter; the range runs from Nebraska ($552) to Maine ($1,886), driven almost entirely by the electricity rate.
How we calculated this
Worked for ductless mini-split in North Dakota: 2,000 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1171 $/kWh = $0.23 per hour; hours per day = 9.4 × (6,960 ÷ 3,500) = 18.7; 2,000 ÷ 1,000 × 18.7 × 182 × 0.1171 = $797 for the winter. Rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly 5.6.A (October 2025–March 2026 average); degree-days: NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026, against the CONUS total; utility prices: EIA-861 2024.Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.
Where to go next
- Cost to run ductless mini-split (national page) — The 2,000 W and 9.4 h/day baseline this page scales for North Dakota, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in North Dakota — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at North Dakota’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — North Dakota averages 11.71¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in North Dakota — North Dakota’s 13.41¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run space heater in North Dakota — Same North Dakota rates and degree-days applied to a 1,500 W space heater.
- Cost to run heat pump in North Dakota — Same North Dakota rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in South Dakota — $735 for the winter at 13.59¢ and 14.9 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in Colorado — $734 for the winter at 16.45¢ and 12.3 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.